Chatsworth Girl Will Compete in Teen Pageant, But Life's Goal is to Become A Neurosurgeon

Julianna Martinez is a confident ninth grader, and she is hopeful of her performance at the preliminary competition of the 2012 Miss Teen Pasadena Pageant, being held in Pasadena on March 18. But to her, this competition is only a way to gain more experience in life, as she is looking forward to a more promising career in medicine.

Julianna was born in Northridge, and this March, she will turn 15. Along with her father, her mother, her younger sister and her younger brother, she has lived in Chatsworth most of her life.  She currently attends El Camino Real High School and is taking all honors classes.

Julianna explained that the Miss Teen Pasadena pageant "is not a typical beauty pageant, and doesn't even have a swimsuit competition." She added, "The pageant is mostly about personality, and also about appearance." Julianna said the contestants compete in categories like "formal dress, casual dress and the interview (public speaking)." The pageant has four different age categories, ranging from 7 to 19, and Julianna is in the age 14-16 division.

When asked what sort of interests she has, Julianna enthusiastically said, "I love to dance a lot! I like ballet and jazz. I also like track and cross country." She says that although most of her time is spent in school, she really enjoys being there. Her favorite classes are English and Biology.

"I like English class because I really like to read. We're reading 'Romeo and Juliet' in class right now." Julianna said with a big smile. "I also love to volunteer at school."

Julianna was asked about her expectations in the Miss Teen pageant. "I hope I get a scholarship; that would be really great." She said that she thinks a lot about the future. "Not many people in my family went to college," she admitted. "I'd really be the first generation (in her family) to be a college student."

When asked why she chose Stanford over the closer universities right here in Southern California, Julianna said, "I like the area, it's so pretty in Palo Alto. Stanford is an excellent university, and I want to experience new places."

Julianna lays out her plans for the future, and interestingly, she never mentions being a model or becoming a celebrity. "I really want to go to Stanford, then go to medical school and become a doctor."

When asked what kind of doctor she'd like to be, Julianna says, "I want to be a neurosurgeon."


(Note: if you are a business and may be interested in sponsoring Julianna in her pageant competition, please write a note here in the comments of this story. Patch does not endorse or promote this pageant event in any way, but you may inquire about what a sponsorship is from Julianna's parents. The author believes a sponsorship means something like placing an ad in the pageant program.)